my dearest sammykins,
happy SECOND birthday, bud! it's hard to believe you are another year older - man, how this past year flew! in some ways it feels like the looooongest year of my life, but in other ways it feels like i blinked and it went by.
my dear boy, there are days when i wish you would stay just the way you are forever, and then there are days when i wish you would be a grown man with kids of your own haha - you give me and your dad a run for our money most days, but i'll tell ya, i wouldn't have it any other way. you are so full of life and personality, and we have absolutely loved watching you grow and develop this past year. you are so smart, and every day i am amazed by the new things you say and do. you have been talking so well for quite a while now. you have the cutest little voice in all the world - there aren't many things i enjoy more than listening to you speak. when you're in a good mood, that is. ;)
we have always said that when you're good, you are really good. but when you're bad, you are really bad. haha there isn't a lot of middle ground with you. you are either just so silly and fun to be around, or so ornery, mood and scary to be around. you can throw a tantrum like no other, and on those occasions when we witness "sam the incredible hulk," i just hope and pray that this is the peak of your "terrible" phase, because i'm not sure what we'll do if it gets much worse! dad and i are the only people who ever really witness your terrible side, so pretty much everyone else just thinks you're the cutest thing ever. which you are. you really do have a magnetic personality.
you have really grown to love your baby brother this past month. it has been so fun to watch, although a bit frightening at times. you try so hard to be gentle with him, but i don't think you're aware of your strength! whenever you see gus, you're eyes get big and you say "baybee gus, baybee gus!" and come running for him. you love to kiss his head, and you also love to claw it. haha i think that's the side of you seeking attention, but for the most part i have been very pleasantly surprised at how well you have adjusted to being a big brother.
you and finn still seem to have a love/hate relationship. you two don't really play that well together, and it can be a bit frustrating. i feel like a referee most of the time - always blowing my whistle and assigning time-outs. i hope and pray each day that as you grow, you will become better friends. i can see that you love each other dearly, though, and that warms my heart. finn is so protective of you - in fact, a few weeks ago we were at a family party. you two were playing with the other kids your age, when one of them hit you with a stick. finn witnessed it, grabbed a stick of his own, walked up to the kid who hit you and said, "don't do that to my brother." i didn't see this, dad did, but he said it made him so proud haha and i must admit, tears welled up in my eyes when i heard it. i have no doubt you would do the same for him. i guess it's just a brotherly code - you can pick on one another, but no one else can. :)
although you tend to be my most challenging child most days, you're also the one who can get me to laugh quickest and as they say, the things in life that challenge us are also the most rewarding. i have such admiration for you, and a love that could never be put into words. your excitement for life is unparalleled by anyone i know, and it's one of the things i love most about you. i know you will grow to accomplish great things one day mr sam, and you will touch many lives along the way. you remind me most of your dad, and as frustrating and infuriating as you both can be at times, the good in you always outweighs the bad.
sure do love ya kid, and hope you have the happiest birthday!
love,
mom
